Animal-trap.



No- 829,338. PATENTED AUG. 21, 1906. W. G. HOOKER.

ANIMAL TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED Farms. 1906.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR.

a// W I A TTORNE Y5- ms NORRIS PETERS cm, WASHINGTON. D. c.

WILLIAM CHAUNCEY HOOKER, OF ABINGDON, ILLINOIS.

ANIMAL-TRAP- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21 1906.

Application filed February 19, 1906. Serial No. 301,869.

To all whcm/ it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM CHAUNGEY HOOKER, a citizen of the United States, re-

siding at Abingdon, in the county of Knox l ner.

and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Animal-T rap, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to traps, and is primarily designed for catching rats, although of course capable of catching any characterof small animals.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide certain new and useful improvements in the mounting and assemblage of the jaw and the spring to actuate the same, and also to improve bait-holder and ieeper for engagement with the latch member to hold the jaw under tension.

With these and other objects in view the present invention consists in the combination. and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accomp anyin g drawings, and p artic ularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a rat-trap embodying the features of the present invention, the being shown in full lines in its set position and in dotted lines in its sprung position. Fig. 2 is a fragmentar'y perspective view of one corner of the jaw and the base of the trap. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the trigger.

Like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The present invention includes a base 1 of suitable size and preferably in the nature of a block of wood. About midway between the ends of the base a series of staples 2 are driven into the base and constitute retaining brackets or bearings for a crossbar 3. yoke-shaped or substantially U shaped swinging jaw 4 has its end portion pivotally pierced by the cross-bar and lying between the outer most staples and the extremities of the bar, which are headed to prevent displacement of the jaw from the bar.

For each side of the jaw there is a springrod 5, which has a portion bent into a springhelix 6, embracing the cross-bar 3 between wardly,

the combined.

one pair of staples, the inner extremity 7 of the spring bearing against the top of the base member 1. The spring-arm 5 lies at the inface of the adjacent side of the jaw and has its free extremity doubled or bent back upon itself and passed through an opening 8 in the rec end portion of the jaw, the bend of the wire being bent downward to form a hook 10, lying across the outer side of the free end of the jaw so as to hold the spring-arm therein and to form a prong or tooth which depends across the front end of the base in the sprung position of the jaw.

For the purpose of holding the jaw under tension in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings there is provided a latch arm or bar 11, loosely connected to the rear end of the base--as, for instance, by terminating in a hook 12, loosely engaging a staple 13, driven into being of a length to lie across the free end of the jaw and overlap the cross-bar 3.

The keeper for holding the latch in the set position of the jaw includes a sleeve 14, rotatably embracing the middle portion of the cross-bar 3, said sleeve preferably being a wire helix, one end of which is bent to form a hook 15 to embrace the free end of the latcharm 11, while the other end of the wire is bent into a transversely disposed combined trigger and bait-holder 16, which stands in an upright position when the trap is set.

In the set condition of the trap, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, when a rat attempts to obtain the bait upolp the bait-holder or trigger 16, the sleeve 14 will be rotated and the keeper 15 disengaged from the latch-arm 11, whereby the springjaw will be freed and will swing over forwardly and downwardly and grip the neck of the rat between the free end of the jaw and the base of the trap. It will now be understood that the teeth or prongs 10 are intended to catch or grip into a fold of the skin, limb, or any portion of the body, making an exceedingly tight grip from which it is impossible for the animal to work loose. In fact the more the animal wiggles the tighter the grip of the jaw. The teeth have a tendency to hold the animal and prevent its escape no matter in what position it is caught, and it is just as liable to be caught in the side of the trap as in the front end thereof. By preference the middle portion of the free end or cross-bar element of the jaw is bowed outas at 17, so as to project beyond the the base-thc latch-arm C front end of the base, and thereby constitute a finger-piece for convenience in lifting the jaw preparatory to swinging the latter rearwardly into its set position.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. A trap comprising a base, a cross-bar supported in an elevated position upon the ase, a substantially U-shaped jaw having its end portions pivotally supported up on the cross-bar and provided in its outer end with a pair of openings, spring-arms having portions coiled around the cross-bar with their inner ends bearing against the base and their outer ends passed through the respective openin s and then bent transversely of the jaw to orm teeth, a latch for holding the jaw under tension, and a trigger associated with the latch.

2. A trap having a swinging jaw provided with an opening, a jaw actuating spring passed through the opening, and a tooth constituting a portion of the spring adjacent the opening.

3. A trap having a swinging jaw provided with an opening, and a spring-arm having its free end folded and passed through the 0 en ing in the jaw and then bent transverse y of the jaw to form a tooth.

4. A trap comprising a base, a swinging jaw mounted thereon and provided with an opening, and a spring-arm engaged with the base and having its free end passed through lap one end of the base when the jaw is I sprung.

5. A trap comprising a base, a swinging jaw mounted thereon and provided in its free end with openings located at opposite sides of the center of the jaw, and spring-arms connected to the base and having their free ends passed through the openings of the jaw and bent to form teeth projecting at the inner side of the jaw and disposed to overlap one end of the base when the jaw is sprung.

6. A trap comprising a base, a swinging spring-actuated jaw mounted upon the base, a latch pivoted upon the base to overlap the jaw when set, a combined keeper and trigger formed from a wire having its middle portion twisted into a helix, one end of the wire being directed upwardly and formed into a trigger, and the other end of the wire bein directed upwardly and then bent downward y to form a hooked keeper for embracing the free end of the latch.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CHAUNCEY HOOKER. 

